Between the Fever and Cold Chills
by Little Gem Magnolia
Summary: The one thing they've never talked about comes up that night in her apartment between the fever and the cold chills. KaraMel.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Supergirl or any of the characters.

 **Summary:** The one thing they've never talked about comes up that night in her apartment between the fever and the cold chills.

 **0000**

J'onn had warned them both of the possibility that Mon-El would get sick. That, just as with humans, his body would have its own special way of fighting off the remaining lead poisoning in his system. Just because he had powers and seemed fine didn't mean that he wouldn't need special care throughout the night just to be sure. It was all part of the reason he was staying with Kara in the first place.

It wasn't like she was worried about him. He was a Daxamite, he would be fine.

It wasn't like she felt responsible. Like she should have done more to save him, keep him from harm.

It wasn't like she felt as though she'd let him down. Like despite her name, she hadn't been very _super_.

It wasn't because she had panicked when he'd immediately collapsed outside his cell or because her heart stopped for just a moment when he'd been shot. And it definitely wasn't because his pain had been hers when Jeremiah had extracted that bullet out of his leg. Not because her knuckles had been just as white as his as she'd gripped his hand just a little too hard because she felt so helpless.

No, it was _strictly_ because there was a possibility that he would get sick and would need her and nothing more.

Telling herself that didn't make it any easier when he'd started burning up after everyone went home. Sitting on her bed with his head in her lap, pressing an ice pack to his sweat covered brow as he groaned and tugged irritably at his clothes was literally the hardest thing she'd ever done.

She'd never been around someone that had been so sick before. Sure Alex had come down with this or that when they were younger and even the smallest amounts of kryptonite made her sicker than she ever thought she could be but she'd never taken care of anyone before. Not in this way. It was startlingly personal and more terrifying than being locked up at the mercy of Cadmus.

At Cadmus she'd had _him_ to be scared with but here he was too sick to be scared. Here she was scared enough for the both of them.

She'd called Alex when he'd started sweating despite the slightly cool temperature of her apartment and she'd assured her that he would be fine. That sweats and chills were signs of fever; signs that ones body was working properly. She'd given her tips on how to make him as comfortable as possible but she didn't tell her that sitting back and watching it happen would be so hard.

Running her hand through his hair and gently shooing away his bad dreams and switching out his ice pack were more difficult than anything she'd ever had to do as Supergirl. She didn't like feeling helpless, like she couldn't make the pain go away. It was her job to help people so why in the world couldn't she help those closest to her?

 **0000**

It was nearly one o'clock in the morning when his sweats and delirium turned into agonized, totally conscious, completely lucid shivering. The violent tremors of this new stage of fever woke her from her light doze as he shifted restlessly, trying to get warm.

She quickly gathered every blanket, quilt and jacket she could find, piling them on the bed before rejoining him. Snuggling close and wrapping her arms around him in a futile effort to share her body heat, she shushed his apologies at putting her out.

"You're not bothering me," she soothed, gathering him close. "That's the whole reason I'm here, to make sure you're taken care of. Besides, it's the least I can do after what happened."

Mon-El shook his head. "This was not your fault," he assured through chattering teeth. "Cadmus has it out for all aliens, not just you. It probably would have happened sooner or later, whether I hung out with you and the DEO or not."

"Yeah well, I should've been able to stop them. If I had just agreed to solar flare in the first place, none of this would have happened."

Sighing, he brought his arms around her and tugged her closer, squeezing tight. "If you'd agreed to solar flare in the first place you wouldn't be you," he reminded gently.

She couldn't really say anything to that; he was right. That he knew her so well even made her smile a bit.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her hair.

"For what?"

"For getting caught and letting them use me against you. For making you taking care of me. For keeping you up when you have to be at work in the morning. For a lot of things," he confessed, arms trembling around her as he still fought off the cold.

Blue eyes raised to meet his and she smiled softly. "You couldn't help getting caught and you're not making me take care of you or stay up late. I'm doing that on my own because you need me." She tucked her head under his chin shyly and took a deep breath. "I made a promise to you, when we first found you in that pod, that I would be here for you when you woke up and I'm keeping my promise."

He nodded gravely. "I remember. You told me I'd never be alone." He laughed shakily as another tremor shook through him. "But that was when you thought I was from Krypton."

She raised her head to look at him, eyes wide.

"I was in stasis, not dead, Kara. My ears worked just fine."

A blush crept over her cheeks and her nose crinkled in consternation. "You never mentioned that you heard all _that_."

He flashed her a charming smile that wavered slightly as he clenched his teeth against a particularly violent shiver. "You never asked."

She sent him an answering glare in return. "Yeah well, I meant it and I still mean it."

"Daxamite and all?" he wondered with a raised brow.

She nodded, signature smile firmly in place. "Daxamite and all. You couldn't get rid of me now if you tried."

He let out a breath and closed his eyes, a genuine smile playing on his lips as he pulled her closer. "That's good to know. After all, I still need you to keep me warm."

He drifted off to the sound of her giggling softly in his ear.

 **0000**

 _I hope everyone enjoyed this and please remember to review._


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